China/Thailand/Malaysia/Indonesia 1998 (9/5 - 10/7)
It's September, 1998 and our good friends, Chuck and Annie Hoefs invited us to join them and their family on a trip to China.
Forbidden City - Palace of the Emperors.
About to go through the entrance.
Sizzling in the heat at the Great Wall.
Chuck Hoefs, master bargainer, doing his magic on the way back to the bus from the Great Wall.
Hanging with our friends Ken and Sue Smith.
Outside of Beijing.
Beautiful Asian Camel outside Beijing.
Our ship the M.S. Victoria on the Yangtze River.
Checking in for our cruise down the Yangtze River from Chongqing through the Gorges with a 3 Gorges Dam visit and on to Wuhan. Because of the water level we were unable to go under the bridge so we disembarked short of Wuhan and took a bus into town.
One of the memorable stops along the Yangtze was Fengdu (Ghost City). Does Diane looked scared?
Bob sucking up a beer (warm Papst) with a straw.
Bob getting to know the locals in Shanghi.
Diane looking cool with Hong Kong in the background.
We left the group at the Hong Kong airport and we headed to Bangkok for a couple of days before jumping on the Eastern and Oriental Express through Malaysia down to Singapore stopping at the River Kwai, Penang & Georgetown.
Bankok - Imperial Wat - just like being in "The King & I".
Eastern and Oriental Express.
Upon arriving into Malaysia we disembarked at Penang after brunch and viewed the Eastern & Orient Hotel in Georgetown for a rickshaw ride to some Chinese temple viewing and then back on the train to pass through Malaysia and on to Singapore.
Dining on the Eastern and Orient Express. At various short stops the locals would line up and wave to us.
Showtime on the train. First class for sure!
What does one do in Singapore? Go to Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling. Yummy!
And in Singapore one must visit the 'Merlion' the most visible landmark.